Where the Wind Blows
by Peter the Otaku
Summary: Jack didn't know where he was or why the wind had suddenly failed to answer his call, but he was certain that little ghost dog had something to do with it. When he comes across two sisters, Jack thinks maybe they can help, but then things start happening that he never really expected. What was that warm feeling in his chest? JackxOC
1. Stranded

Okay... I know I _should_ be working on my Young Justice Fanfiction right now since it's been a while since I've updated it but Rise of the Guardians has kind of taken over my brain and I blame it on Jack Frost... and just a little on Bunny. Cause Bunny is cool too. Anyway, for those of you who read _Smooth Criminal_ I apologize and please don't kill me. I love you all. For those that haven't and are just as big Jack Frost fans as I am Hello and nice to meet you.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Rise of the Guardians or Jack Frost. I am however the prideful owner of the Rise of the Guardians 3DS game and several posters which little the walls of my room. My mom thinks I'm childish and my little sis is really jealous.

* * *

Chapter 1: Stranded

~*~Jack~*~

It was still early in the year for snow, especially a snowfall as thick as what was falling over the northeastern areas of Canada. Usually winter didn't sweep down from the north until at least the middle of November, but this year winter had reared its frosty head in late October and by the beginning of the following month there was a fair amount of snow and ice covering everything. The universe, it seemed, had decided to play a small practical joke on the unsuspecting citizens of Northern Canada. Well, not the universe really, because Jack Frost was truly the one responsible for the early snow.

The winter spirit seemed to take delight in causing his good natured chaos. His ever present grin never left his face when he was in the presence of playing children, especially if they believed in and saw him. Besides who was he to ruin their fun by allowing the snow to melt early?

Letting out a short chuckle the white haired youth (Who really wasn't a youth if you looked at his age.) shot through the air, riding the wind to where ever his long time friend decided to take him. Thick flurries of snow trailed behind him, expelled from the end of his staff whenever he wished has he flew leisurely through the air. There was already a thick blanket of the white stuff covering many of the towns and cities he sailed over but an extra snow day never hurt anybody. And in Canada he had to work extra had to accomplish that because in the northern regions school was rarely cancelled for anything short of a blizzard. Where was the fun in that?

Now, Jack knew he probably should have started helping spread winter to the other parts of the world, Moscow was in desperate need of a snow storm, but it was still early in the season and he had yet to become bored with Canada.

As he flew over a small town, one with many outlying houses and farms surrounding it in several directions for a few miles, he spotted something he was not accustomed to seeing in the sky. At first he thought it was a cloud, reflecting in the light of the moon until he remembered that it was a new moon and that Manny wasn't shining on anything. So then how was it that a silvery, wispy dog was sitting in the air staring at him?

Jack slid to a stop in midair as the strange animal got closer and he could see that the dog was indeed silver and made of what looked to be a mist of some sort, despite the clearly defined features of the creature's form. From Jack's experience with dogs, which could see him though some people could not, he could identify this dog a beagle by the floppy ears and relative smallness compared to other breeds.

"Hey boy. Now how'd you get all the way up here?" He asked gliding forward, but as he did so the dog perked his head to the side and took several steps backwards through the air causing the winter spirit to stop. The dog stopped just as he did, its tail wagging back and forth and Jack couldn't help but to raise an eyebrow.

He tried approaching the dog again only for the strange, unearthly creature to repeat its actions by backing up so that the distance between the two always remained the same. Still its tail wagged happily and he gave a little yip. Several more times Jack tried to get closer but the little dog always backed up until the winter spirit started to get frustrated. Just when he was about to call it quits and leave, the small pup darted forward and snatched Jack's staff right out of his hand.

Now, since fighting Pitch, Jack had learned that his staff was not the source of his power as he had once believed, but he was still rather attached to it and didn't hesitate to try to retrieve it.

"Hey!" he called after the dog. "Give that back!"

The dog looked back at him and lowered the front of his body to the ground, staff held tightly in his mouth and tail wagging wildly. If Jack wanted his staff back he was going to have to give chase that much was very clear.

And so Jack did give chase, trying to get a hold of his staff before the dog could react, but the small creature was fast and he was already off, zigzagging through the air in random directions to throw the winter spirit off. The chase only lasted a few minutes but Jack actually found himself enjoying the game, you know if only his prized possession wasn't in the hands, well paws, of some ethereal dog creature.

Eventually though Jack did managed to catch up, plucking the stick right from the dog's mouth as he dove down from above, throwing the creature off and confusing it utterly. Jack laughed at the decidedly bewildered expression on the dog's face before he realised that he was still falling. He tried to put on the brakes, to slow his decent but instead he just smacked into the ground, a large snow bank in the center of a small forest clearing breaking his fall.

He popped out of the snow not seconds later and brushed it from his hair and sweater. The cold didn't really bother him but his clothes were covered with enough frost as it was. He looked around for some sign of the dog but the creature was gone, vanished like it was never there to begin with.

"Hey wind!" He called deciding that he had more important things to do than chase a dog. As much fun as it had been, he really was getting behind schedule. However the wind didn't answer his call in fact nothing more than a gentle breeze touched his skin and he frowned calling for the wind again.

Still the wind did not answer and he tried several more times going so far as to agilely climb one of the tall pines, only for the branch he was standing on to snap and send him crashing to the ground again. Thankfully for him being immortal had its perks, however one of them was not immunity to pain and falling nearly two stories through trees a second time in one night was decidedly painful, more so because the second time he ended up landing on a fallen log instead of in the snow. It was a good thing one of the perks was a higher tolerance for pain.

Jack was lucky that there were no kids around at the moment because her used several of North and Bunnymund's favorite curse words, as well as some he had picked up before he'd me them. When he regained his breath and walking no longer hurt as muc0,h he decided to take stock of his surroundings. If he was going to be stuck here he might as well find out where here was.

As far as he could tell he was surrounded by a large expanse of forest, which wouldn't have been a bad thing if he could remember which way was the town was located. If he could get to town then, at the very least, he might be able to find some kids who believed in him and could help him contact the other Guardians. But because of the dog, who had made sure to run in every different direction during the chase, it was impossible for him to tell which way civilization was unless he climbed another tree and he wasn't keen on falling again.

So that only left him a few options. One: he could take off in a random direction and hope he came across the town. Or two: stay here and hope that the wind picked him up so he could continue on his way. Winter was a natural phenomenon that happened whether or not Jack kept up with it. Still it was hardly any fun if he couldn't alter its course for a snow day every once in a while. Or at the very least cause a little havoc.

A sudden, friendly bark to his left let Jack know that his friendly ghost dog friend had not actually left him alone after all. He turned with a slight frown on his usually smiling face, more than a little irritated with the creature and pointed his staff at it with one hand.

"Okay buster, I know you have something to do with getting me into this mess, so how do I get out of it?" he demanded feeling a little foolish to be demanding anything of a dog like it could understand him. Even if the dog seemed to be less than corporeal.

However the dog surprised him yet again. It barked at him from where it sat, it's oddly vacant eyes staring right at him before it got up and turned to walk into the trees. It stopped after only a few steps and looked back at him, as if waiting for him to catch on.

Jack assumed this meant that he was supposed to follow but he was hesitant, after all following this creature was what had gotten him stuck here and he was willing to bet it also had something to do with the unresponsive wind. And if it turned out it didn't, he was sure that it did at least know what was going on. The dog barked at him again.

"Alright, alright, but don't take my staff again." He said walking slowly after the dog. It was better than wandering around aimlessly.

Keeping a close eye on the dog as they went, Jack noticed a few things about it that he hadn't before, small things that he had missed. For one, the dog wasn't silver as he had first thought but a glowing blue mesh of swirling mist and it was see through like an actual ghost would be. Last but not least, even though it was walking on the snow it left no prints. Even Jack left footprints in the snow when he walked, though he wasn't sure if mortals could see them unless they believed.

Jack would be lying if he said he wasn't a little creeped out by this creature. He'd deny it if any one asked him of course but he was still more than a little wary. What if it really was a ghost. Were ghosts even real? The Guardians were real so why couldn't ghosts actually exist? He needed to stop thinking about this or he really would end up freaking himself out.

Just as Jack was beginning to think that the dog was leading him around just for the sake of getting him more lost, the trees around them began to thin and he saw a light in the distance. The closer they got to the light the more the dog's form seemed to fade until, when they reached the tree line, it was completely gone and Jack was left alone to stare at the small home in the clearing of the trees.

The house itself seemed unremarkable, made in an old style of wooden logs with a stone chimney. It had two stories and he suspected there to be a cellar as well because covered under some snow he thought he saw set of stairs and a small doorway hidden by and indent in the ground. There were also a few other buildings further off from the house as well, one, a barn by the looks of it, surrounded by a high fence that was partially covered with snow. He realised after a moment that it was a horse stable when he saw the hoof prints that had been made recently on the inside of the enclosure.

"This... wasn't exactly what I was hoping for." He said after a moment as he stared at the house. Lights were still on inside even though it was getting late into the night. With no other option the winter spirit figured that he might as well take a look. Maybe whoever lived in the house had children who could see him. The dog was gone at any rate so it was unlikely that he'd get anymore help from it.

Walking up to the house instead of floating like he would have had the wind listened to him he peeked inside the window where the light was brightest. The inside of the house was more modernized than the outside, the main floor was merely one big room split by a island counter that separated the kitchen from what appeared to be a living room. The counter itself seemed to also act as the dining area if the high chairs were any clue.

Shifting to another window to see the living room side better, because there was no one in the kitchen, he spotted someone sitting on the couch. A young woman, with dark hair who was reading a book. She couldn't have been any older that he was, well at least physically and he spotted a few children's toys littering the small room which he noticed was lit by only a lamp and a blazing fire in the fireplace. That meant that there was at least one child here and all he would have to do was wait until the next day to see if he could get some help. Provided the child could see him of course.

The next day Jack was still sitting outside the house, rather, he was sitting on the house, his legs dangling over the edge of the roof as he waited for the child he thought to be in the house to come outside. It was a weekend, so he wouldn't have to worry about school and he had seen the older girl already up and about coming outside twice already to go into the horse stable.

He'd followed of course, curiosity getting the better of him, that and he'd been bored nearly to tears while he waited for someone to come outside.

"So why aren't your parents out helping you with this?" He inquired as she hefted some hay into the stable of one of the four horses that were stabled in the barn. The animals had noticed him but the girl had not as she brushed some stray hair from her face and out of her light green eyes. She was pretty Jack noted with some amusement when she wrinkled her nose as one of the horses butted her with its head and unbalanced her.

"Hey now Boreas, behave." She scolded the horse which was by far larger than the other three with shaggier hair like he was built for cold climate. Stick some antlers on its head and Jack would have sworn that it was one of North's beastly reindeer. The horse it seemed did not want to listen to her and pawed the ground a few times its dark eyes fixed on Jack who just grinned at the animal.

The girl looked behind her, like she was trying to see what the animal was looking at but her eyes passed right over him like he knew they would. It was uncommon for anyone over the age of fifteen to see him. From the ages of ten and up the number of people to believe in him dwindled until hardly anyone close to his physical age actually noticed him. Sometimes he found himself wishing that at least one teenager could see him once in a while, it would be nice to talk to someone taller than four feet. Not that he didn't like the kids; it was just lonesome sometimes being so much older than them. Then again he was older than all mortals.

With a sigh and a glance to the wrist watch on her wrist, the girl gave each of the horses one last pat before she trudged out into the snow and back to the house. She left the door open long enough for Jack to slip into the front room as she stamped the snow off of her thick winter boots then peeled them off and went to the stairs.

"Willow! Are you up yet?" She called up to the second level and there was a reply from above that Jack couldn't really make out as he was busy inspecting what looked like a collection of Native American artifacts that had been set on the mantle of the fireplace.

A few minutes later his attention was drawn away as a child no older than ten or eleven bounded down the stairs toting a small dog stuffed animal in her arms. She looked similar to the older girl though her hair was lighter and curlier where her older sister's was straight. They shared the same eyes though.

"There you are." The older girl said turning from the stove where she had begun making breakfast while she waited for the child.

"Morning Atti" Willow mumbled sleepily as she pulled herself up onto one of the chairs at the counter. She rubbed her eyes and shivered as Jack moved to sit in the chair opposite the child. He had been hoping that she could see him but like her older sister her eyes passed right over him and he felt himself deflate a little. "Can we go outside and build a snowman today?"

Jack sighed and propped his chin in the palm of his hand as he leaned his elbow on the counter. There went his fool proof plan for getting out of here. The wind hadn't responded to him all night and he had the feeling it wasn't going to anytime soon. However the mention of play in the snow lifted his spirits a little. He could at least have a little fun today, maybe make a believer out of the small girl who was now fully awake and scarfing down a plate of scrambled eggs as if she hadn't eaten in days.

Jack heard her sister(Atti was it? He wasn't going to remember that later.) scold the girl for eating so fast but the little girl was already done of the food, hurrying to place the plate in the sink then rush over to the coat rack where she struggled to pull her coat from the peg that was a little too high for her.

"Willow you left Poochie at the table!" Atti called picking up the stuffed dog and setting on a chair as she passed to help the girl take her coat and snow pants down from the peg. Five minutes and a lot of squirming later as Jack laughed at Atti's attempts to get the little girl to calm down, the two girls were both ready to go outside. Willow in full snow gear and her sister sporting only a coat, a scarf and some mittens that looked like they were hand knitted.

"Come on!" Willow urged pulling her sister out of the door as soon as it was open. Jack was quick to slip outside ahead of them so he wouldn't be stuck inside and he walked through the snow in front of them turning so he was walking backwards to watch the two.

Willow immediately jumped into the snow, eager to play but Atti seemed a bit more reluctant since she was less readily dressed. _Now we can't have that_. Jack thought as a mischievous grin spread across his face. He waited until the older girl's back was turned before he leaned down and shaped a snowball into his hands. But he didn't throw it at her instead he tossed it at the younger of the sisters, hitting her squarely on the arm and surprising her so much she stopped rolling the ball that was to become the base of her snowman.

"Attica!" She whined with a giggle, thinking it was her sister who had thrown the snow. It helped that a little of Jack's magic had worked on her, compelling her to finish what he started purely for the fun of it.

Attica didn't turn fast enough as a snow ball was launched her way and hit the back of her neck the cold substance going down the back of her shirt and she yelped in surprise which Jack found highly amusing. He was nearly on the ground laughing as she hopped around trying to get the snow out of her clothes before she turned on the smaller girl with a playful scowl on her face.

"You're going to pay for that Willow... you have five seconds to run." Attica warned.

Willow's eyes widened in mock fear and she scrambled to get as far from her sister as she could before she was caught. Jack followed after her laughing the whole way as Attica began advancing in the snow, instigating a chase that soon had the previously unmarred powder completely covered in tracks.

"Run!" Jack encouraged the little girl, doing his best to trip up the older of the two where he could. He was having way too much fun playing around with these two even though they couldn't see him or recognize his part in their fun. For a little while he almost forgot about his predicament and why he wanted them to believe.

* * *

Whew... I hope you all like this, it's kinda been milling about on my computer and in my brain since like November when I first saw RoTG... and then three times after that. I'm sad it isn't in theaters anymore and that I have to wait until March to get the movie. That two whole frigging months!

I really don't know if I'll be continuing on with this fic or not... I already have four other chapters written out and there are plots afoot in my brain so provided my well of inspiration doesn't dry up and I get some positive response from this I'll likely continue. Also check out Atti and Willow on my Deviantart page. I did a really cruddy drawing of them last night for giggles. peter-the-otaku deviantart com/art/Attica-and-Willow-346942254 just remove the Spaces and replace them with dots.


	2. Secret Stash Believer

Hi guys!~ I'm back! I was intending to be a bit mean and wait a few more days to get this chapter out but I couldn't help myself and had to get it up today before I head into work. Work sucks by the way. If you're reading this and are under the age of sixteen or seventeen, don't be in such a rush to be considered an adult cause adulthood sucks! I wish I were a kid again and then I could dream about Jack Frost all day... but because I'm not and because people would think I was crazy if I started talking to air I can't.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own RoTG sadly enough. But I do own Attica and Willow please don't steal my babies especially Willow who is based largely off of my own baby sister. Don't steal my sister! I'll beat you all down!

* * *

Chapter 2 Secret Stash Believer

~*~Attica~*~

The falling snow was bitterly cold as Attica chased her small sister around the yard behind their small house. There was plenty of the white powdery flakes piled on the ground to have all sorts of fun with. Living in the northern regions of Canada, the winters were always chilly and this year the snow had come in thick droves so that it was piled in high hills and banks against the log home where the two sisters lived with their parents.

Willow squealed loudly as her older sister caught up to her and lifted the small ten year old high into the air. It wasn't the easiest task considering Attica was not the most athletically inclined person, but she managed to hold her sister in the air for a few seconds before the squirming of the child sent them both careening head first into a pile of snow.

They both reappeared from the drift seconds later, sputtering and laughing. Attica moved to stand again and was just brushing snow off of her already soaked jeans when she felt a tug on her scarf. Without warning, she found herself assaulted from behind as Willow jumped onto her back and wrapped her arms around her sister's neck, clinging there for dear life.

"I got you!" The little girl squealed shrilly directly into the eighteen year olds ear and Attica winced a bit, knowing that, for a while, her hearing capabilities would be severely limited. At least until the ringing stopped. Never the less she barked out a laugh and tried to shake the child off, quite literally. The sight itself was ridiculous as she shook herself like a wet dog to loosen the younger girl's hold. Not that it did much good, Willow had a death grip around her sister's neck and had no intention of letting go any time soon.

When she realised that shaking had failed, Attica decided to switch her tactics and was quick to make a huge show of choking, flailing and then finally collapsing to the frozen ground as if she had died, she made sure to twitch occasionally, just for effect. Willow was giggling through the whole ordeal and now sat atop her sister's back looking very pleased with herself.

Not for long though. Attica grinned wickedly and peeked her eyes open, glancing back at the smiling child. There was a sudden flurry of activity and flailing limbs, snow was kicked up into the air and when it settled back to the earth the girls' positions had been reversed. It was a comical scene to see the much larger girl sitting on the tiny one. Well partially sitting, really all Attica had done was trap the child under her legs, her knees pulled up to make sure Willow could not escape.

"Attiiiiiii! You're heavy!" Willow whined trying to pull herself up but was unable to with the legs trapping her. "Lay off the junk food!"

"Hey! That's not nice! I haven't touched my stash since-"

"This morning!" The smaller girl cut her off and Attica scrunched her face up in an unattractive yet amusing expression. However the child was right. Her 'secret' stash of junk food had been disturbed that morning.

"Alright, alright. I'll get off, but no snow down my shirt this time." She reprimanded. That was how the whole thing had started in the first place. Attica was not terribly fond of the cold, or even extreme heat for that matter unless she was very chilled. She preferred an in between temperature but she did like the snow just fine. Snow was great if it wasn't so damn cold. She shivered and rubbed her arms to get some friction going and the blood in her arms to warm. Now that she had stopped moving around the chill was creeping up on her.

"Alright kiddo, I'm going inside for some hot chocolate." She said playfully pulling Willow's hat down over her eyes.

"Make me some too!"

Attica laughed. "Will do. And be careful of Old Man Frost! He'll nip at your fingers and toes if you stay out too long!"

"Why would an old man nip my nose!?" Willow laughed covering her nose with her gloved hands.

"Why!?" Attica blinked before a smile spread across her lips. "Didn't you know!? Jack Frost is the one that brings the snow every year!" She exclaimed making a grand sweeping gesture toward the snow with her arms. "He turns the leaves to all different colors and draws patterns in the frost on our windows!"

"Really!?" Willow asked, clearly excited as her sister nodded solemnly.

"Yes. But he's also very mischievous. He'll make a path slippery as you walk along it. Or blow a cold wind right down your neck to see you shiver... Or even pick up your hat right off of your head and blow it away!" Here she tugged off Willow's hat and threw it up into the air.

"Hey!" Willow cried as she watched her hat descend back to her but her older sister was already across the yard laughing as she ran to take shelter from the cold in the nice warm house.

Attica laughed as snow hit the door she had just closed. Now inside the small house where it was warm she quickly ran to her bedroom on the second floor and stripped out of her wet clothing. Out of her dresser she pulled a dark grey turtle neck sweater, a fresh pair of jeans and a pair of mismatched socks. She never bothered trying to find the pairs to socks, a sock was a sock and its only function was to keep her toes warm. Once dressed in warmer and dry clothes she gathered up that which was wet and dumped them unceremoniously into the washing machine that occupied the closet in the bathroom. When she finally made it back downstairs she made sure to peek out of the window in the kitchen to check on her sister.

The child was sitting in the middle of the yard, building what looked to be a snow fort. She was chatting away pleasantly with herself and she piled the snow walls higher and higher, her concentration split between building and her conversation with the wind. Attica smiled, she used to talk to herself when she was Willow's age too, though she could never remember if she was actually talking to herself or to someone else.

Shrugging the thought away as she moved around the kitchen, she hummed a Christmas carol, even though the holiday was still weeks away. She gathered the ingredients for her home made hot chocolate, plus a little extra for Willow and soon enough she was seated at the counter that separated the kitchen from the living room. Having the bottom floor split in half by the counter made the house seem small but Attica liked it fine. As she sipped her chocolaty goodness she let her mind drift off into space, her imagination taking her to some place far away. She was still staring at the wall when Willow came stumbling in the back door, shivering from the cold but looking as happy as she could possibly be.

"Are you done your fort already?" Attica asked getting up from her seat so she could help her sister pull off her layers if snow clothes. Willow squirmed this way and that, making it almost as difficult to get her out of the snow suit as it had been to get her into it but eventually it was done.

"Yeah, look!" Now free of the wet clothes Willow dashed to the kitchen window and pointed out to a small but well made fort.

"How did you make it so fast!" Attica asked completely shocked that such a small child could build a fort, even a small one, in such a short amount of time.

"Jack helped me!" Willow replied proudly.

"Jack? Jack who?" There were no Jack's she knew that lived in the area and she knew all of her neighbors pretty well despite how few and far in between they were. Living outside of town hand it's up and down sides but knowing all the people who lived around them was definitely and upside.

"He just said his name was Jack and he helped me build my fort." The child shrugged like it was no big deal and climbed nimbly onto the counter to her hot chocolate to put it into the microwave to heat it up. Attica pursed her lips and leaned against the counter.

"So what does your friend Jack look like?" She asked at a length.

"White!" Willow exclaimed happily. "His hair is all white! And his eyes are blue like the sky!" The little girl was clearly excited about her new friend.

"And how old is Jack?"

"Um..." The child paused to think about the question for a moment then gave a half shrug. "He never said. But he's taller than you!"

Attica opened her mouth, intending to get more information about this mysterious Jack when the microwave beeped and distracted her younger sister. Willow was already completely engrossed with her hot chocolate the moment she picked it up and Attica knew it wouldn't be long before she was unable to get any more information about this Jack character out of her.

"So... can I meet your friend Jack sometime?" She asked quickly. She wanted to meet this boy who sounded like he was closer to her in age than her sister and she wanted to know where he had come from. It wasn't like she was suspicious of him, it just wasn't often anyone went out of their way to come to their house. It was secluded by trees on all sides, nestled in a little clearing where there was lots of room to play. Attica and Willow's parents were rarely home, their jobs often taking them away for weeks or months at a time and so the only people who were at the house regularly were the two girls and Mrs. Nicolson, the old lady down the road who checked in on them time to time.

Willow nodded to her sister's question, her face practically halfway into her cup as she guzzled her drink. She came up for air briefly and Attica laughed as she fetched a cloth to wipe her chocolate covered face.

"I think you'd like Jack. He's funny." She said and Attica just smiled.

Soon enough Willow's bed time had arrived, though the act of actually going to bed was easier said than done because bed time wasn't bed time without a story, or two, or even sometimes three.

Willow was already tucked into her bed, cuddled up with her favorite stuffed dog as Attica sat on the edge of her bed telling her the story of sleeping beauty, complete with funny voices and even some action scenes.

"And even though the prince knew that the evil witch might beat him, he took the sword that the three good fairies enchanted for him and he threw it with all his might! Hiyah!" Attica made a motion as if she had thrown something very hard and then clutched at her heart. "The blade hit the transformed witch right in the heart! _Noooooooo_ She cried out at she fell, for she knew she had been beaten by the handsome prince. Even before the witch hit the ground her own fiery magic began to consume her and all that was left was her black cloak and the prince's sword."

Attica struck a defiant pose, pretending to be the handsome prince. Willow was completely enthralled with the story though she had heard it before and waited eagerly for the next part because it had always been her favorite.

"With the evil witch now gone, the once forgotten kingdom which had been asleep for a hundred years was freed of the thorns that had hidden it from the world. With the direction of the good fairies, the prince made his way to the castle and then up, up, up to the tallest tower where the sleeping princess was laid to rest. At first he was hesitant to enter a ladies room, because he had been taught to knock before entering such a place. But he knew the princess was asleep and could not answer so he opened the door and found the most beautiful girl he had ever seen sleeping peacefully in her bed." Attica made a swooning motion and pretended to be asleep for a moment until Willow poked at her, giggling so she would continue the story.

"_How will I wake her? _The prince asked the good fairies as he walked up to the beautiful princess's bed. _She can only be awakened by true loves first kiss_ said the good fairies to the prince and at once he knew that he did love the princess. He would not have risked so much to rescue her otherwise. He had loved her before he had even seen her face! And so he did as the fairies told him and leaned down to kiss the princess." Willow clutched her dog tighter as she listened and Attica smiled at her little sister. "As soon as their lips touched the princess stirred and opened her eyes. She did not know the man who stood over her but instantly she felt more love for him than she had felt for anyone else! And as she woke, so did the kingdom. Everyone who had been put to sleep by the curse of the witch was now awake and knew that the princess that they had loved so dearly was awake as well. The whole kingdom rejoiced and welcomed the prince who had saved them with open arms! The Prince and Princess were married soon after that, and without the witch shadowing the kingdom they lived happily ever after."

Attica finished her story with the ever popular happy ending and exhaled as she finished. She closed the book, which had not even been turned past page two as she knew the story by heart, and set it aside.

"Tell another story!" Willow demanded still looking bright eyed and not at all sleepy. Attica supposed she had brought it on herself by getting so into the stories that telling them became an event for the two sisters.

"Willow it's time for bed." She said mussing up the tiny girl's brown locks. Willow looked so much like her mother it was a wonder that when she grew up the child would not be a carbon copy of the woman. She had the same curly brown hair and green eyes and earthy tone skin that had been inherited from their mother's native American heritage. Attica also shared the dark skin of their mother but she looked much more like their father who had grown up in Athens, Greece.

The little girl grumbled and pouted at her older sister who was a sucker for the innocent expression on Willow's face no matter how much she tried to deny it. "I'm not tired yet." Willow said imploringly and Attica couldn't help but give in.

"Okay, but this is the last one little missy." She sighed, "What do you want to hear?"

"Something about Jack Frost!" Willow said sitting up a little only to settle back down when Attica sent her a look then glanced back up to the ceiling. What stories did she know about Jack Frost? Not many off of the top of her head and she knew none of the story books on the shelf had any about him. She would have to improvise with what she had learned from the few tales she had heard over the years. She was sure her mother had told her one about a boy with hair as white as the winter snow as a small child. So she started with what she could remember of that story.

"Jack Frost had not always been Jack Frost you know." She said settling down next to her sister who was smiling happily. "Before he was Jack Frost he was mortal like us. A regular boy who loved to play games and tricks..." She expanded her story about a boy who had lost his humanity to the winter snows and ice, filing the blanks in her memory with improvised snatches of information. There was no happy ending to this story, she knew. Her mother had never finished the story while she was awake and now that made her curious about how the story really did end. It couldn't just end with Jack Frost becoming a winter spirit there had to be more than that, but she didn't know how else to finish the story.

"... In the end he became the spirit of winter and helped to spread snow all over the world." She finished feeling like the ending was a little lame compared to other stories she could have come up with. It seemed entirely unfinished

"What happened to Jack?" Willow asked with wide eyes when Attica came to a halt after describing how Jack Frost had learned of his new responsibility to bring winter to the world and how he used his new abilities to help him play pranks on those who did not see him.

Attica frowned and shuffled a bit. "I don't know. Maybe his story hasn't been finished yet. People couldn't see him after all, he was a spirit. Maybe after a while he got lonely and learned how to make people see him."

"Well how would he do that!" Willow was full of questions tonight.

"Well I once heard that the only way you can see Santa or the Tooth Fairy was to believe in them. Maybe Jack has to find someone who believes in him." Attica said with a shrug. "Or maybe he needs to do some heroic deed to break a curse someone laid on him. I think Jack Frost would be able to find a way... don't you?"

Willow nodded exuberantly then yawned and Attica pushed her down into her pillows gently, tucking her in with a kiss to her forehead. "Night Atti." Willow said sleepily and Attica replied in the same fashion.

"Night Willow. If you need me I'm down in the kitchen." She said flicking off the light so the room was only lit by a small nightlight in the corner.

"Hey Atti." Willow's quiet voice stopped her by the door and she looked back at the bundled figure on the bed. "Do you believe in Jack Frost?"

Attica was struck by the question and she hesitated to answer. She'd never really thought about believing in Jack Frost, not since she was little maybe. She knew she believed in Santa and the Easter Bunny and other such fairytale beings, even now when she was nearing adulthood. Her parents had always told her they existed, even when other kids her age said that they had stopped believing in fairytales. And there was always the undeniable truth of the presents under the tree, which could have been her parents except for the few years her parents had been away during the holiday season. So when she thought about believing in Jack Frost she didn't know what to say.

"Well... Do you think he's real?" She asked at last.

Willow shuffled for a moment and then said. "Yeah. I saw him Atti, he's real."

Attica wondered when Willow had seen the winter sprite and then remembered the Jack that they had talked about earlier, the one who had helped Willow build the fort. It was possible that the child was confused or whoever this Jack person really was had just been playing along with her sister. But, if Willow said she had seen Jack Frost she believed her and that was good enough proof for her.

"Then I believe he's real too Willow. Now go to sleep okay? You still have to go to school tomorrow." Attica left the room and went back down to the kitchen to finish cleaning up the supper dishes.

As she washed she let her mind wander as it usually did but it was stuck on the thought of Jack Frost, as well as the other fairytale beings she had idolized as a child. Growing up she had believed in them, could have pictured them vividly, but she realised that for the past couple of years she had let them slip to the back of her mind. It wasn't that she hadn't believed, she just hadn't thought about them, which was almost as bad in her book. If she were them she wouldn't have liked if someone had up and forgotten her. She frowned and looked out of the window at the snow fort in the yard then let her gaze drift up to look at the stars.

There were no clouds that night so it was easy to pick out the different constellations. Her eyes sought out the North Star and for a long moment Attica just stared up at it remembering the wishes she had asked of it as a child under the notion that stars could grant wishes. She still liked to think that such a thing was possible. She smiled as she remembered a wish from when she was younger, just a little older than Willow when nightmares had plagued her until she was unsure of the existence of the fairytales she'd grown up with.

_I wish they'd come back. _She had thought. _I wish they were real again._

* * *

So here we are again at the end of another chapter. Which personally I think could be a little better but I am at a loss as to what I could have done with it without going into the next chapter, which we can't do just yet. Cause big stuff happens in the next chapter... sorta... kind of, anyway.

So I want to thank those of you who faved and/or followed Where the Wind Blows so hugs and thanks to rosewhip889, Mirunique, RomieCastilleja, Artemis Queen of the Night, SgtChumumu and RaeDawnxx. Double thanks to Rae cause she also reviewed.

Alright guys so it's goodbye until chapter 3 which makes me sad but fret not because chapter 3 AND 4 are already mostly written. That means if you want them sooner than the next few days then I want to see some reviews to see how everyone is liking the story okay?

Okay,

Peter out!


	3. Where Are Your Shoes?

Woo Hoo!~ Chapter 3! Sorry I took all week to get it out. Sometimes I actually like to pretend I have a life outside of fanfiction and work So I spent all my free time with friends and family this week. Now I'm tired. I want a nap.

Also... The chapters will be switching between the points of view of Attica and Jack and maybe even Willow if people want me to or if I feel like it will work. Some chapters will be entirely one person and others may be a mix. Just getting that out there.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Rise of the Guardians. But I totally PWNed Pitch in my 3DS game. Boo YAH!

* * *

Chapter 3- Where are your shoes!

~*~Attica~*~

Attica woke sometime in the middle of the night with a feeling of terror coursing through her. She struggled with her bed sheets that had become tangled around her feet before she managed to kick them off and practically dove for the lamp on the table beside her bed.

The light flickered on and Attica looked around her, her head snapping left and right so fast she wouldn't be surprised if she had whiplash later. There was nothing in her room out of place, her desk was still the mess she had left it in, and her bookshelf was still overflowing with novels and story books. Even her old teddy bear sat sentinel on her dresser. Taking a deep breath she got out of her bed, throwing the blankets to the side as she stood.

She couldn't remember now what had woken her. Whether it was a dream or some noise she had heard, she just knew that the fear she had felt had not yet gone away. She had a feeling that the moment she closed her eyes again it would come back to her full force and she didn't want to have to have that feeling again.

Quietly she tiptoes down the hall to her sister's room and looked inside to ensure Willow was still asleep. The child was little more than a lump in the middle of her bed, breathing deeply and dreaming happily if the smile on her face was anything to go by. Closing the door behind her she moved down the hall to a window that over looked the trees. Nothing seemed to be out of place there either so Attica forced herself to go back to her room.

For a while she paced, unable to calm herself down enough to actually get back into bed and turn the light off. Her heart was still racing and whenever she tried to think back to what had woken her she pulled a blank. Eventually she settled down on the small window seat near her desk and pressed her forehead against the cool glass. The action relieved her and she sighed, allowing her tense body to relax a little. _It was probably just a bad dream_ she told herself looking out the window.

As she stared out of the clear surface she noticed something move on the fringe of the trees and it sent her heart racing once again "Calm down Attica... It's probably just a fox or a rabbit or something." She told herself using her full name like her mother would do to calm her down. Unfortunately it didn't seem to work and she knew the only way to really calm herself down was to go outside and prove to herself that it really had been nothing to be afraid of.

Going down the stairs to the main floor slowly, Attica made sure to flick on the light so she would not trip over anything that might get in her way or be snuck up on should something really be outside and mean her harm. Stopping in the kitchen she pulled a flashlight from under the sink, checking to make sure it worked before she moved around the table to get to the back door. She hesitated at the entrance, taking a deep breath to collect herself before she went out to brave whatever was in her yard.

The flashlight came on as soon as she left the pool of light created by the open door and she slowly cast the beam around the trees, looking for whatever she had seen in the woods. Still she saw nothing and that unnerved her more than if she had seen something. Taking small steps so she was closer to the fringe of the woods she squinted her eyes trying to see past the darkness that the canopy of pines created. She could remember where she saw the movement but the snow around the trunks looked disturbed. No paw prints or anything else had touched the snow since it had fallen.

With a sighed she resigned herself to the fact that she had probably been seeing things in her tired state and turned to go back into the house. She was shivering from cold, having not put on any warmer clothes besides her pajamas in her rush to discover what she had seen. Just as her back turned to the trees she heard another noise and whipped around to see what it was. At first she saw nothing, the beam of the flashlight shaking so much it was hard to focus on anything but then she heard a curse and she definitely knew someone was there.

It didn't take her long to pinpoint the source of the noise as a boy stumbled into view out of the trees, holding his hand up to his face to block the light that was blinding him.

"That's kind of bright you know!" He called out to the wind and she had a feeling that he wasn't really talking to her.

Slowly Attica lowered the light so it wasn't completely on his face but she still held the flashlight away from her as if it was some sort of weapon she could use to fight him. Not that it would do her much good, he was carrying a long stick, more of a staff than anything else, and the stick would outreach her flashlight without even trying.

"What are you doing out here in the middle of the night?" She asked him warily and was startled when his head shot up and his eyes locked with hers. An excited smile broke across his face and Attica was unsure if she wanted to know why. He practically leapt over to her, invading her personal space as his face was only inches from hers.

"You can see me too?" He asked as Attica leaned away a little. Her arms had fallen to her sides, any thought of using her flashlight as a weapon was gone when she got a good look at him. His hair was the color of the snow around them and his skin almost as pale, his lips were nearly blue like his eyes though the color of his eyes more closely resembled the sky on a cool day. She noted that the blue hoodie he wore was covered with frost and he wasn't wearing any shoes.

"You must be freezing!" She exclaimed distracted from his question and that she should probably be wary of this strange, albeit handsome, boy. "Why aren't you wearing shoes?!"

The boy looked down at his feet and wiggled his toes in the snow, not seeming perturbed in the least. How an earth was he not bothered by this!? "Well... It's really not _that_ cold." He said after a moment of thought.

"You must be mad." Attica shook her head and grabbed him by his arm to drag him towards the house. He was going to catch frostbite standing out in the snow with no shoes or proper clothes on and stranger or not she was not going to be responsible for leaving a freezing person outside to die. When she had tugged him inside and slipped off her own shoes she led him into the living room area of the main floor and practically shoved him onto the end of the couch that was closest to the fire place.

"Stay there." She said sternly as he tried to protest. But she would hear none of it as she busied herself with gathering logs for the fire and placing them in the fireplace with some kindling underneath to help start the blaze.

"Really you're making too big of a deal about this..." He began to say but there was a grin on his face that he couldn't seem to wipe off as she threw a blanket at his head to silence him.

"Shut up and wrap yourself in that. You'll be lucky if you haven't gotten frostbite from walking around in the snow like that."

~*~Jack~*~

Jack wasn't sure what to make of this girl. But that may have been due to his excitement that she could actually see him. It was rare that someone under twelve actually believed in him, let alone a girl. She hadn't yet seemed to clue in that even with the blanket she'd wrapped him in after he'd refused to do it himself, was doing little to warm up his always chilled skin. The cold never bother him anymore, but then again being the spirit of winter for three hundred years would do that to a guy.

Right now she was busy in the kitchen making some form of hot drink he was sure she was going to force down his throat. He thought it was amusing to have her fretting about over something as little as bare feet but he also knew that humans were a little bit more fragile than he was. He sometimes forgot that.

"Here." She had appeared next to him suddenly and he blinked in surprise that she had moved so fast from there to here but accepted the cup she was holding out to him. He figured it would be better to take it now then have it spooned fed to him. "Are you warm enough?"

He could see the concern in her eyes. Not long ago she had been staring at him like he was going to murder her violently with his staff but he decided that he shouldn't mention that and gave a slight nod of his head. She seemed relieved and sighed as she sat on a squishy arm chair that was directly across from where he was sitting.

He still didn't really understand how she could see him. The other, younger girl, who lived here could see him. Suddenly, out of the blue when her sister had gone inside the little girl had seen him and invited him to play. Willow had been great fun to talk to and she was adorably innocent. She kind of reminded Jack of his friend Jamie back in Burgess but that had been over seven years ago. Jamie was older now and though he still believed in Jack the winter spirit had a feeling it wouldn't be long until his friend wouldn't be able to see him any longer.

"So who are you? And why were you outside in the middle of the night with no shoes on?" The girl asked watching him intently. Willow had said her name was Attica or Artie or something similar. He'd heard it said earlier in the day too but he couldn't quite remember it. It was sad really but he had been more preoccupied thinking about other things. Her eyes flickered to his untouched cup and he made a point to blow on it, discreetly making it cold and took a sip. Hot chocolate was good. Cold chocolate was even better.

So she really didn't know who he was. And yet she could see him. He smiled, this was an interesting development. "My ride kind of just dropped me nearby here. No idea how I'm supposed to get back home." Well he'd been lured here by a ghost dog but he wasn't about to tell her that right yet.

"Someone just stranded you here?" She asked clearly appalled that someone would do such a thing.

"Well... Yes and no." If he could contact North, Tooth or even Bunny he wouldn't be stranded.

Attica stared at him for a long moment as if expecting him to explain further but when he didn't she sighed once again and ran her hand over her face mumbling something under her breath about how she'd been hoping to get at least some sleep that night. By the look of the bags under her eyes she hadn't slept well in a few days.

"I suppose it's too late for you to call anyone to come get you." She said getting to her feet. "If you want I can make up the spare room for you and you can call someone in the morning."

It was a nice thought, but he didn't think any of his friends had telephones. If they did they really wouldn't need the Northern lights as a warning call to bring them together. He couldn't help the smirk that wormed its way onto his face as he thought of the Guardians trying to learn to use cell phones. It was laughable.

"My name is Attica by the way." Ah so that was her name. He knew he wouldn't have remembered it unless she had told him.

"Jack." He offered. He didn't really feel the need to tell her who he really was _just_ yet. He could have some fun with this if he played his cards right, no need to be glum about being stuck with a pretty girl and her sister.

He watched as her eyes widened slightly and her back stiffened as if she realized something and he thought maybe he had been found out. Maybe she was aware of who he was and it just hadn't clicked until she'd learned his name. But then her face broke out into a warm smile and he was taken aback slightly.

"You helped Willow build her fort earlier." She said calmly and he smiled and gave a short nod. Of course he helped the kid build the fort. He was the master of snow forts. It came with the territory. He shoved his hands into the pocket of his hoodie and stood like she had been doing and she seemed to realize that she still had to make up a room for him. The sheets were already on the bed but she wanted to make sure everything was in place. She rushed off mumbling something to herself about locating socks and he laughed out loud. It had been a long time since he'd thought about socks.

She came back down the stairs not long after and led him to the spare bedroom, explaining where the bathroom was located as well as her room in case he needed anything. She seemed to have gotten over the fear that he would do something bad. She bid him goodnight and he watched as she went into her own room down the hall and shut the door. There was a slight click and he realized she had locked the door behind her and he gave a small chuckle. Maybe she wasn't as trusting as he had given her credit for. Maybe it was the staff.

Jack didn't really sleep much, he thought that maybe he'd like to but being immortal had its perks, like not having to rest for long periods of time unless he was hurt, which surprisingly could happen. Apparently he could die too as he had learned when Pitch Black, the Boogeyman in his own right, had 'killed' the Sandman. Of course the belief of the children had brought him back but there wasn't always that guarantee at a second chance at this immortal life.

Instead of sleeping Jack had decided to spend his time frosting over the window with his finger and drawing pictures to amuse himself. He would have found greater amusement in icing over the furniture and skating around the room but there were a few reasons why he couldn't do that. One, the room was much too small to be able to do anything much fun in, iced or not. Two, he was certain that Attica would definitely not be pleased to see her spare bedroom covered in ice and consequently water after the ice had melted. And last but not least, he was trying to do his best to avoid the naughty list this year. He knew that since becoming a Guardian, North had been lenient with him, especially considering the eternal eighteen year olds 'center', but he had still managed to get onto that list every year without fail. Usually it had something to do with pranking Bunny but this year he had managed not to harass the Easter Kangaroo too much. Icing the room just for fun would definitely not earn him any points.

By the time it began to get light, which was at least seven in the morning considering the hemisphere and the time of year (Really it was completely dark by five thirty in the evening there), he could hear Attica down the hall in her room getting ready as well as the sounds of Willow sleepily getting out of bed, mumbling to her Poochie stuffed dog. He decided that he should probably 'wake up' himself though he really didn't have much to do. Attica had offered him a change of clothes that looked much too big for him but he'd declined. He liked his clothes and didn't feel the need to change him; he couldn't get out of accepting the socks though.

Finally after some internal debate on exactly when he should get up the problem was solved for him when a timid knock came to the door.

"Are you awake?" Attica's voice came from the other side of the wooden barrier, not as timid as the knock had been but not as loud as he would have expected considering how loud her voice had been when her younger sister had been woken.

"Yeah I'm up." He called back moving over to the door to open it. When he did he caught Attica in the process of plaiting a pair of braids into her hair, one behind each ear and the rest of her hair falling loose. She jumped a little when he opened the door as if she hadn't been expecting him to do so but then smiled a bit nervously. He responded with his own signature grin and leaned against the door frame. He'd left his staff in the room for the time being otherwise he might get some weird questions about it.

He watched her shift awkwardly as she twisted a strand of hair in her fingers, it was obvious she was uncomfortable and was likely unused to having guests. She glanced at him again then looked down the hallway toward the stairs as if trying to figure out exactly what to say to him. She hadn't been this way the night before but then, she had been fretting over him getting hypothermia and frostbite.

"I was about to start breakfast, if you're hungry." She said after a moment, scratching the back of her neck nervously.

"JACK!" a shrill cry made both the teenagers jump as something barreled into Jack's leg and nearly knocked him over. He managed to catch himself on the wall before he hit the floor and laughed at the small girl that had latched onto his leg.

"Willow, be careful!" Attica exclaimed seeming to forget her reservations about Jack and reached out to help him catch his balance.

The younger girl didn't seem to hear her sister and beamed up at Jack. "You're still here! Atti let you sleep over!?"

"She sure did!" Jack said in an equally excited tone. "At least until I can get a hold of someone to pick me up." Like it was going to happen so easily. He had decided earlier that morning that he was going to have to convince Attica to let him stay for more than one night but he wasn't sure how he was going to go about doing so. She seemed pretty wary of him, he would have been too if he were anyone but him.

Willow turned to Attica with a wide grin on her face. "Can he sleep over again?" She asked nearly bouncing in place. "Can he please!? I want to play with him some more!"

Attica seemed to be a little taken aback as she stared at the little girl before shooting a glance up at Jack who grinned and shrugged. His expression made it clear that he really didn't feel like saying no to the little girl and he really wasn't going to put up much of a fight.

"I..." Attica seemed unsure as she stared down at the little girl. "Jack has to go home sometime Willow. He's going to call someone today to take him home."

"Well what if he doesn't get a hold of someone?" Willow asked pointedly.

"Well..."

"Please!" Willow pleaded.

"I... I guess so." It seemed Attica was powerless to say no to her younger sister.

"Yes!" Willow pumped her fist then rounded on Jack and grabbed his arm to pull him down the hallway and then down the stairs. They nearly toppled to the bottom because of the speed in which the child was going but Jack laughed and caught them both before they landed in a heap. He vaguely heard a warning from Attica at the top of the stairs but neither of them heeded it.

"Willow... Willow, don't forget you still have school today!" Attica said halting them both before they reached the door which had been their destination. The two turned to her, each with a pout on their face.

"I but... Atti!" Willow said in an absolutely exasperated voice.

"No buts. You have to go to school."

Jack chuckled drawing their attention to him and he saw Attica raise an eyebrow. "I don't think there is going to be school today." He said pointing out the window. He watched as they both turned and the difference in the expressions on their faces was quite amusing. Willow had let out an excited squeal and Attica looked positively stunned.

"What... How?" She questioned going over to the window to brush aside the curtain to get a better look at the raging blizzard outside. Jack knew he didn't have anything to do with it but he still found the turn of events to be highly favorable. Especially when the power flickered then died. Well, no phone calls for him today. He snickered to himself a little, quickly covering it up with a cough when he noticed Attica shoot a look back at him before she turned her gaze back out to the blizzard.

* * *

Yay!~ Attica can see Jack, but she is blissfully unaware of who he really is and he seems to think it might be fun letting her figure it out on her own. Jerk. Ah well she'll figure it out sooner or later. At the very least not until the storm subsides, or even later. How long would YOU let a stranger stay in your house, even if they appear harmless.

Anywho I want to give a big thanks to Duchess of Blueberries, Pocchi and Skyfire of hope for faving and/or watching WTWB.

And here I will begin to answer reviews!

**SgtChumumu**: Thanks for the review. You really should see the movie, it's pretty epic, I want to go see it again too. I even caved and bought the movie novelization book saying was for my little sister... it was totally for me. I'm glad you like the format and plot I'm doing my best to keep everything coherent!

**RaeDawnxx**: Sadly Bunny isn't going to show up for a while. It sucks I know cause Bunny is awesome.

**Duchess of Blueberries**: Yes! Attica can see him! She's not the brightest bulb in the pack though. Wanna bet how long it takes her to realize who he is!?


	4. Brush the Dragon's Teeth!

Chapter four! Woo hoo!~ I can't believe I got this far. This kinda just started out as a story to amuse my little sister because she's obsessed with Rise of the Guardians... I am too but that's not the point. Anyway onto the chapter!

**Disclaimer: **I in no way own RoTG. That belongs to the genius that is William Joyce. And Dreamworks cause they made the movie. I didn't have any part in it but man do I wish I had!

* * *

Chapter 4

~*~Jack~*~

Jack wasn't sure why, but the more he watched the two sisters, the more he wondered why they were living in this house alone without any parental supervision. He wasn't complaining, parents tended to want kids to do more chores than play, but it was weird that he hadn't even heard either of the girls talk about their parents.

He asked about it later in the morning when breakfast (Cereal was all they could have)was done and they had braved the chill winds to get out to the stables to check on the horses. Well they braved it, he walked out like the cold didn't bother him at all until Attica demanded that he put some warmer clothing on. So he was now forced to wear a hat, mittens and a scarf when he went out into the snow, as well as some too big boots that wouldn't have fit either girl.

"They come and go." Was Attica's reply when prompted by him. "They have jobs that take them away a lot, they try to get home for the holidays but sometimes they don't make it."

"They're really busy all the time." Willow added from where she was brushing one of the horses. Willow had told Jack the names of all four upon entering the barn and he'd done his best to remember. Boreas was the biggest as he had learned the day before and was deep grey in color, Willow had said he was Percheron which Attica had informed him was a breed of draft horse. Then there was Notus an Arabian breed with white and brown splotches of color on his chest neck and hindquarters, he had a bit of a temperment. Eurus was next, an Andalusian horse with a penchant for apples. He was completely black in color but had a small white star on his face. Last was a small welsh pony and the one that Willow was brushing diligently. His name was Zephyrus and he was the gentlest of all four horses. His coloring was what Attica called a varnish roan which to him was just a very light brown with darker patches along his face, mane and legs.

"So are the horses yours or your parents then?" He asked after a moment. It didn't make sense that someone would own horses and not be around to take care of them though the two girls seemed to be doing a good job on their own.

Willow giggled and looked up from the pony to look at Attica who has disappeared up into the loft to push more hay onto the ground floor "No. These horses are Atti's. Dad gave them to her a few years ago for her birthday and she says she wants to raise more and become a aqua-estrian."

"Equestrian." Attica corrected loudly from above as a bale of hay launched from the loft and onto the ground, shortly followed by another before Attica peeked over the side to look at them. There was a smile on her face and pieces of hay sticking out of her hair. "It means I want to train and ride horses for a living."

"That's what I said!" Willow said going back to her brushing. Jack laughed and went over to one of the other horses to get a better look. He'd stayed out of the way for the most part when Attica told him that he didn't need to help because he was a guest but he was a little curious.

He'd decided to check out the draft horse first and Boreas seemed to eye him as he got closer to the horses stall. The big horse snorted when Jack climbed onto the fencing that separated the stalls from the main aisle and stomped on the ground a few times like he was irritated.

"You're a big horse." Jack said reaching his hand out like he meant to touch the animal.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you!" Attica called still watching him from the loft. "Boreas is known to bite!"

Jack looked back at the horse who was still eyeing him warily and snorting at him. Still cautiously, because let's face it losing a hand was not one of his priorities, Jack reached out further until his fingers brushed against the horse's nose. He half expected the horse to chomp down on his fingers or flinch away but instead it huffed once then leaned into his hand and let the winter spirit pet him.

"That wasn't so hard." He laughed after a moment and looked up at Attica who seemed completely bewildered. There was a look on her face that was a cross between awe and worry. But it quickly changed to shock and he had a split second to wonder why when he felt a slight pain in his hand and he jerked it away from the horse, stumbling off of his perch and landing heavily on his back.

The horse whinnied like it was laughing at him as he inspected his hand. A thud off to his left got his attention and he looked over to see Attica getting out of the hay pile she had created and he realized she had jumped down from the loft. He made a mental note to try that later but was quickly distracted when Attica approached him and crouched next to him to inspect his hand.

"Hey ow!" He complained when she took it in her own hands and poked at it, not seeming to notice the chill of his skin. "It's not that bad." Boreas nickered again and he got the feeling the horse was still laughing at him.

"You're lucky it isn't." She said after a bit more poking. "Willow can you get the first aid kit from the tack shelf?"

"You have a first aid kit in your tack shelf?" Jack asked with a grin on his face. "Isn't that unsanitary?"

"Maybe a little but would you rather me let it fester in horse drool?" She quipped back and he chuckled. Okay so she had a point. Then again he was sure the injury (which had not even broken the skin) would heal on its own in no time. He'd yet to get an infection no matter what the injury in his three hundred plus years, he wasn't even sure if he could get a wound infected. He'd never been sick either come to think of it, though Bunny did have the sniffles that one time.

Once his hand was wrapped enough that he could hardly move it Attica instructed the mischievous winter spirit to sit off to the side while the two girls finished up their chores. It was rather boring for him so he amused himself by blowing out puffs of misty breaths in different shapes, a skill he was trying to master and was having little luck with since as much as he could control the temperature he did not control the direction of air flow and his breath always ended up looking like a deformed blob.

Soon enough Willow rescued him from his boredom and he was once again pulled outside into the blustery weather. It really wasn't snowing all that much but there was a fierce wind whisking snow in every different direction. At first Jack was excited and he laughed a bit, but the wind never picked him up even when he called out to it. His smile fell a bit but he forced it back when Willow pulled on his sleeve so they could get back inside the house. As much as she loved the snow it was just a little too cold outside for play that day.

~*~Attica~*~

Attica watched on with a mild amusement playing on her face as she fixed sandwiches in the kitchen, spreading peanut butter and raspberry jam over the bread evenly. He gaze was fixed on the living room where Willow had Jack playing pretend with her. Each was sporting a foolish looking hat and speaking in goofy voices. She knew she should still be wary of the mysterious boy who had turned up out of nowhere, but since Willow got along with him so well she couldn't begrudge him for too long.

Suddenly Jack was shaking his head in dismay, the brightly colored jester's cap jingling as he did, the bells chiming along with his fake distress. "I don't know where to begin! I don't know where to start!" He cried in a high pitched voice. "Oh no! We have _got_ to go and buy the dragon a toothbrush , your Excellency!"

Willow approached him, a princess hat on her head and a blanket thrown around her shoulders like a cape. She held a little fairy wand in her hand like a scepter and put her hands on her hips as Jack hopped closer to her, keeping himself level with her height. He looked at the small child imploringly his eyes shining with mischief and laughter. "After devouring most of the township, his breath is simply awful!" Here he covered his nose and waved the air like he'd smelled something horrible, complete with grimace.

"He ate the town!" Willow squeaked looking absolutely appalled as she brought her hands to her face, her mouth open in shock.

Jack nodded feverishly. "He ate the baker and his wife." He said hopping up onto the couch, still crouched and began counting off on his fingers. "He ate... the wood smith and his three sons. And then, for sweets." He cleared his throat and motioned for Willow to come forward. "Come closer, yes that's it... he ate the cobbler!"

Willow gasped then straightened her face as she looked at Jack and nodded at him approvingly and Attica had to stifle a giggle. "Grand idea jester! You should go brush the dragon's teeth!" She brandished her wand in Attica's direction and the older girl raised an eyebrow.

"Hey are you saying my breath smells!?" She said putting her hands on her hips.

"Be quiet!" Willow called. "Dragons don't talk!"

Attica narrowed her eyes at the little girl and then at Jack who chuckled at her bad fortune before schooling his features to horror as he turned back to Willow.

"Me!?" He all but yelled. "He doesn't like me!"

Willow raised an eyebrow. "Yes... And?"

"W-what do you mean and!" Jack said now hopping around like mad. He reminded Attica of a rabbit almost, if only he had a fuzzy tail. She snickered but kept the thought to herself. She could use it against him later. "And..." Jack continued "And he's quite large. And..." he pointed to Willow then moved closer to her to whisper in her ear. "I look surprisingly like a toothpick from afar!"

They both collapsed into a fit of giggles and Attica, not having heard the last of what was said moved from behind the counter and crossed her arms. "What were you two saying?" She asked looking down at them.

"Oh no the dragon!" Willow cried getting up and running across the living room as Jack tried to do the same only for Attica to trap him where he was on the floor with her foot.

"No your Majesty don't let me be eaten!" He yelled through gasps of laughter. Willow shook her head, her brown waves swirling wildly around her.

"No way! I'm not fighting _that_ dragon! He probably breathes fire." Willow stated matter of factly and Attica grinned down at Jack who was doing his best not to laugh and look terrified at the same time. But then Attica frowned and looked up at Willow.

"Since when was I a 'He'? She asked "Last time I check I was a girl." She stated and Jack snickered until Willow pointed her wand at him and ratted him out.

"He started it. He called you a boy first." She said grinning because she knew she'd gotten him in trouble.

"Hey! I did not I was just playing along!" He called scrambling to get out from under Attica's foot. "Willow you traitor!"

Somehow he managed to throw Attica off, sending her spinning into the chair with a loud "Ouf!" She picked herself up in time to reach out and grab Willow as she ran past, trying to escape from Jack.

"No!" The little girl squealed as Attica hoisted her into the air.

"I'll teach you to call me a boy! And say I have bad breath! Don't you laugh Jack as soon as I hog tie her you're next!" She called out to the laughing teen as she placed Willow into a chair at the counter where her sandwich was waiting for her with a glass of milk. Jack stopped laughing and had the decency to look a little apologetic but there was still mischief behind his smile and she suspected that this wasn't going to be the end of this.

"Ah... Hey you know I was joking right?" He said as he sat at the place that was set for him and leaned his chin in his hand. Attica sat on the opposite side of Willow who was munching on her sandwich and studied her own food with a haughty look on her face.

"That depends... do I get your desert?" She asked and she saw him frown and falter out of the corner of her eye.

"Isn't this your house? Don't you get to decide that?" He asked and she cracked a grin.

"Good answer. You're forgiven... for now."

She heard him let out a fake sigh of relief and the room became quiet aside from the sounds of eating and that of Willow slurping down her drink much louder than she needed to. When they were all finished Attica gathered up the dishes and put them in the sink to be washed when the power came back on. It was a hassle that the water didn't work without electricity but then again not much else did work without it these days. When she had wiped down the counter, declining Jack's offer to help which she thought to be considerate, she turned back to the living room where the two had begun to set up a board game.

"Okay what are we playing?" She asked going over, thankful that there was still enough light to see by and that the house was well lit. Later they would need candles but she had already dug them out of everywhere she could find them along with some matches so they would be ready for the evening.

"Snakes and Ladders." Willow declared. "Jack doesn't know how to play though so we have to take it easy on him."

"You don't know how to play Snakes and Ladders?" Attica asked surprised. She'd known how to play that game since she was younger than Willow. It may not be as popular as it once was but it was a fairly easy game to follow.

Jack laughed and shook his head no. "Afraid not. Never had many kids who could play with me really so I never learned the rules." Instantly Attica felt bad. People didn't play with him as a kid? But he was so so... well fun loving. Like he lived and breathed to play, that much she had seen of him. It seemed weird to think there was once a time when he didn't have something or someone to play with.

"Oh.. umm."

He seemed to sense that she was uncomfortable with what he said and he shrugged and he picked up the blue player piece while Willow took the green and Attica the red. "Don't worry about it. All in the past. So how do we play this game?"

Attica let Willow explain the game to him, which took longer than it should have because she insisted that she needed to demonstrate and then run a practise game that Attica won but it didn't count as a win. They proceeded to play through five more games of Snakes and Ladders , all of which Jack won much to his pleasure, and then Willow broke out Monopoly which Jack did know how to play. They were only half way through the game, which would likely last until someone called it quits, when it started to get dark and Attica got up to light the candles. The other two waited while she lit them all, helping when she asked them to place a candle somewhere to help them see.

"I can't wait until the power comes back." Attica said once they had settled back on the floor. She had a blanket tucked around her even though the fire was going. She had asked both Jack and Willow if they wanted one but they had declined and she thought they were both crazy. It was freezing in the room.

"Hey we had lots of fun without the power." Jack said as he rolled the dice and let out a happy chuckle when he rolled the right amount to land on the property he wanted.

"Yes, but I'm not sure how long we can survive off of cereal and sandwiches." Attica replied scowling when her roll landed her on the 'go to jail' space. She stuck out her tongue at Willow who giggled and picked up the dice for her turn.

"And you have to call people too Jack." Willow reminded him and he absently nodded with a small smile. Something about his smile was a bit off though. Oh it spoke of trouble as his grins had all day but this one almost seemed secretive and Attica couldn't help but wonder why.

She was shaken from her thoughts when Jack let out a disappointed groan and she cheered when she saw he had landed on her most expensive property. "Ha! Hand over the cash boy!" She said as he scowled playfully at her.

* * *

And Chapter four is done! I thought it was cute... Did anyone notice the Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium reference up there? It's kinda hard to miss. I was watching the movie while writing this chapter and was like "I HAVE TO USE THAT." Then proceeded to have a spaz attack about how I was going to fit it in.

Big thanks to RavenShichiyou, iGleep, AmyRoxx123, antaurilover685, Skies of Wind, twilighter169, and delphigirl689 for faving and/or following. I always get really happy to see that people are enjoying my stories!

And for reviews~

**Rhianna:** I'm glad you like the story even though romance isn't really your thing. We won't be getting into anything really gushy for a few chapters at least though.

**SgtChumumu:** Dude do it! I plan on buying a digital copy for my ipod so I can watch it no matter where I go.

So guys... I'm having trouble with chapter five. I know what's supposed to happen I just can't get it out the way I want it to. So it may be a bit of a wait, though I hope not. But just so you're warned.

Review please guys! I love faves and stuff but I really want to know what you like or even don't like about WtWB. Just be nice about it.

~Peter out!


	5. Sleigh ride without the sleigh

Mandatory disclaimer goes here: I don't own Rise of the Guardian, Jack Frost, E. Aster Bunnymund, Nicolas St. North, Sandman, MiM or Toothania. Not even Pitch... though I wouldn't want to own him. I get enough nightmares thank you very much.

* * *

Chapter 5: Sleigh ride without the sleigh

~*~Jack~*~

"- And we're sorry to say folks that power in the outlying areas of the town is not going to be able to be restored until tomorrow at the earliest. Crews have been working around the clock to get power back to most of the town and thanks to their efforts the schools are no longer closed."

The news cast from the worn out old radio Attica had dug out of somewhere in a cabinet under the stairs that Jack had never noticed before flickered and died. The batteries that were operating it seemed to have died and he could have sworn he heard Attica curse under her breath as she used a flashlight to try and locate more in a drawer in the kitchen. As she did so she called out to Willow who was sitting at the island table next to Jack.

"Okay Willow you have to get ready for school then. Take the lantern." She said indicating to the electric lantern that had been found with the old radio. Jack watched the young girl look up from the picture she was coloring and scrunch her nose in the same way her older sister did.

"Do I have to go to school?" She asked with a slight whine to her voice. "I want to stay here and play with you and Jack."

"Willow." Attica said a warning in her voice.

"But Atti!" The child exclaimed. "School is dumb. I bet Jack thinks so too!"

Jack had to admit he panicked a little when Attica's gaze shifted to him and she raised an eyebrow as if daring him to agree. Sure he agreed that school sucked, if he had his way kids would never have to go to school and learn boring things like math and history. School was where a lot of kids found reasons for why the Guardian's didn't exist as they turned to scientific reasoning and adult thinking. Yeah school was stupid. But was he going to tell Attica that?

Oh how tempted he was. But he didn't. The look she gave him was practically challenging him and she was nice enough to let him stay at her house. Not many other people would let a complete stranger sleep in their house.

"Uh... well... School can be fun." He said nearly chocking on the words. Willow's eye narrowed at him and he knew she knew he was lying through his teeth. Even Attica seemed to know that he wasn't being honest to his opinion. But he had to stay in the older sister's good graces; otherwise he might find himself stranded back in the forest. Not that that was necessarily a bad thing, but it was way more fun here. If he was going to be stuck he fully intended to enjoy himself.

"Go get ready Willow." Attica said again this time with a bit more force.

Willow looked ready to argue but instead pouted and huffed before she slipped from her seat and tromped loudly up the stairs. She was clearly upset and Jack felt bad for not siding with her. Maybe he should have braved Attica's potential wrath. A sigh from the kitchen earned his attention and he saw Attica rubbing her face with a hand.

"You okay?" He asked feeling a bit concerned she looked tired. More than she had when he was first ushered into the house when she hadn't slept.

"Yeah." She answered after a moment. "I'm just a little worried. She acts like that sometimes and won't talk to me after. Kinda makes me wish mom and dad were here to deal with it and I was the one traveling." She gave a humorless laugh. "Don't worry about it; I'm just sorry you have to see us squabble."

Jack understood her sentiment, or at least he sympathized. From what he gathered Attica had practically raised her sister for the last couple years while her parents weren't home. Which wasn't really fair, since she was still just a teenager who needed a life of her own. Raising a younger sibling had to be hard at times, especially when she didn't have any help.

"Hey don't worry about it. I kind of just appeared out of nowhere. It wasn't like you were expecting company." He shrugged throwing a crooked grin in her direction. She smiled back slightly before her attention was stolen by Willow who was coming down the stairs, pout still on her face. She shot a look at her older sister and sullenly got her winter clothes on by herself. Not saying a word. Attica sighed again and went over to the child.

"You know Jack will still be here to play when you get home from school right?" She asked crouching down to Willow's height. Willow nodded but still didn't speak as Attica helped fasten the front of the coat and handed the little one her hat.

Jack watched as the two went in a very round about fashion of saying goodbye without Willow actually saying anything. So Attica hadn't been exaggerating when she said Willow wouldn't speak to her. He had thought she might have been but no, the kid was as silent as a grave. Eventually it was time for her to go and Attica bid her off watching out the window as the child walked down the lane toward where the bus would stop to pick her up.

For a while after Willow left the two were silent, not talking as Attica went about her daily chores, the only interactions being when jack offered to help. Which like every time he offered was declined. Before long he stopped asking and left her to her own devices and just sat on the couch and looked out the window.

It was too quiet he decided after sitting there for a few minutes on his own. He needed to figure out something fun to do, get Attica involved even. Take her mind off of Willow because it was clear she was worried. He didn't think he could convince her to go outside to build forts or have a snowball fight though at least she wouldn't go for it if that was his initial reason. He had to get her out there for something she would want to do.

As he stared out the window an idea hit him and he grinned as he got up, leaving frost on the window as he left. He was a genius, he decided. There was no way Attica could say no to his idea.

"Hey Attica?" He called up the stairs where she had disappeared not long ago. He waited a moment before he heard footsteps and Attica appeared at the top of the stairs. She didn't say anything but looked curious. That was good. "Do you go horseback riding in the winter?"

He wasn't entirely sure how he managed to convince her that horseback riding was a good way to kill some time but there was only so many chores she could get done with the power out so, after some initial hesitation, she reluctantly agreed and took him out to the barn.

"Have you ever ridden a horse before?" She asked as she saddled the black horse, Eurus, he if remembered right. He watched her as her hands moved over the straps and buckles of the saddle, making sure it was tight enough so it didn't slip but wasn't so tight that the horse was uncomfortable.

"Uh... Well no." He admitted. At least not that he remembered. It couldn't be too hard though right? After all he had been riding the wind for more than three centuries. Riding a horse would be cake compared to that. "But now is as good of a time as any to learn."

Attica's head was turned but he had a feeling she was rolling her eyes at him even as she chuckled and moved to pick up another saddle. She moved closer to Notus, the Arabian breed but was stopped when Boreas kicked at his door. And put his head out whinnying loudly at her like she had done him some personal wrong.

Jack chuckled as she scowled at the horse and went to continue her path to the other, when, to his surprise, the draft horse leaned out and snatched her coat sleeve with his teeth and pulled her back so hard she nearly dropped the saddle she carried. Jack was quick to jump over and catch her before she ended up hurting herself and she mumbled a quick thanks as she straightened herself out.

"I think he wants you to take him out." Jack supplied and the horse's head bobbed up and down like he was agreeing with the winter spirit.

"That much is obvious." Attica replied dryly as she studied the horse. Boreas whickered at her imploringly, his big brown eyes sad like he hadn't just tried to send her sprawling on the ground. Jack looked between her and the horse and then back. Trying not to laugh.

"I will ride him if you don't want to." He offered and she tore her gaze from the animal to look at him like he was insane.

"Wasn't it not long ago he tried to take off your hand?" She asked though he was sure it was a rhetorical question. He nodded anyway and she really did roll her eyes this time. "What makes you think he'll let you ride him if he's willing to bite you?"

Jack was sure this was a trick question and she sounded like she was trying to make a point but Jack didn't really care. He wanted to ride the horse. That specific horse. And now that he had gotten it into his head he wasn't about to change his mind.

"Oh come on. It won't be that bad." He said flippantly with a grin. "He looks like he could use a run and I don't mind."

Attica seemed to debate it for a long time, staring at him like if she did so long enough he would crack and say he didn't want to ride the enormous horse. He didn't though. He just stood there grinning like an excited child and slowly he watched her resolve crumble until she gave in and sighed. He waited until she had turned her back before he threw his hands in the air triumphantly so then she wouldn't be given extra reason to change her mind.

As Jack celebrated his victory in silence behind her back he watched as she put the saddle she had down in favor for a bigger one, one that would fit the draft horse much better and open the door of the stall. He half expected Boreas to bolt and make for the doors but the stallion just shifted impatiently as Attica put the different parts of the saddle on his back. Jack had no idea what any of it was called aside from the reins and the saddle, he was sadly lacking his education on horses.

Attica was quick in getting Boreas equipped to ride, pulling on straps and buckles until everything was ready and she led the horse out of the stall by his reins. She turned to Jack who was waiting a little less than patiently and held the reins out to him.

"Do you need help getting up?" She asked as he took the cord and looked up at the horse. The animal seemed bigger now that he was standing right beside the teenager.

"Nah. I got this." He said putting his foot into the stirrup and putting his weight into it experimentally. He could feel her watching him as he shifted his weight and swung up into the saddle. It took him all of two seconds to realize he'd done so with too much force because he nearly fell off of the other side of the horse. He caught himself at the last moment and managed to hold onto the saddle to avoid taking a tumble onto the ground. "Okay, okay. See I made it."

"Sure you do." Attica replied with a bit of sarcasm as she went over to Eurus and swung up into the saddle more easily than the winter spirit had. Jack was just a bit jealous but knew she had a lot more experience doing this than he did.

After giving Jack some basic instructions on how to direct the horse and control it she opened the doors to the stables and lead both horses out into the snow. They started out just walking around the fenced in pasture because Attica insisted that Jack get used to riding. After a little while though She opened the gate and rode into the trees.

"There are a few trails that go through the woods." She told Jack when he asked how she would know where she was going. "It's easier to see them in the summer but the horses know the way."

"Have you ever seen anything weird in the woods?" He asked thinking about the little ghost dog he had encountered. Attica's head turned to look at him a clear frown on her face.

"Not really. We have deer and coyotes, occasionally bear but they don't really come close to the house." She replied. Jack could see in her face that she was curious about what he meant. She had even opened her mouth to ask but then thought better of it and turned back around. He guessed she really didn't want to know or maybe she already knew what he was talking about and didn't want to reveal that she did. Jack wasn't sure but he was going to find out.

Giving Boreas, who had been behaving himself well, a little nudge with his heel he urge the horse to speed up. However Boreas didn't seem to have any interest in moving any faster than he was so Jack nudged him again. The horse's ears went back and he snorted, pulling on his reins in a way that made the animal seem annoyed.

"C'mon." Jack urged and tapped him with his foot a bit harder causing Boreas to stop completely.

The winter spirit knew something was wrong the moment the horse stopped but he didn't have time to rethink what he should have done before suddenly the world began rushing by. Boreas had bolted into the trees, off the path, moving erratically like he was trying to buck the teenager off.

Behind him he heard Attica yelling his name and several other things he couldn't hear. She sounded worried but he couldn't help but feel like this was great fun even as he tried to pull Boreas to a stop. Jack let out a laugh which quickly turned into a startled cry when he was bucked off the horse and landed heavily in the snow.

He was lucky Attica knew how to stop horses abruptly or he would have been trampled by her horse. He opened his eyes and looked up at her, amused to see a grin on her face. She found it funny that he'd been thrown off of his horse. All she had to do was say "I told you so," and the trip would be complete.

Instead she said: "How's the view?"

Jack broke out in a laugh as she got off the horse and stood over him. He let her help him up and discovered that Boreas had not gone far after knocking him off.

"You shouldn't continue to bother Boreas after he refuses to listen." She said a small smile playing on her face and Jack shrugged.

They ended up walking the horses back to the stables, mostly because every time Jack tried to get back on to Boreas's back the horse would move so then he would fall or stumble. It was if the animal knew he was making life difficult for the teenager and intended to make the walk back as difficult as possible.

* * *

So... I feel the need to point out that I actually know very little about horses and how to care for them. I actually haven't ridden a horse in years. Which is sad because my aunt owns a horse farm...

Moving on. This chapter hated me. I got to about the middle of it before my mind went blank and my plot bunnies decided to take a few days vacation. So if this chapter kinda sucks... blame them. The next chapter will be better I promise!

I wanna thank VolleyballGoddess and Kyuubi for faving and/or following!

**SgtChumumu: **I don't think this counts as fluff... but there will be in the future! The relationship has to develop a bit first and Atti has to figure out who Jack is first because otherwise he's just a random stranger in her house right? I'm glad you liked the horses, they play a bigger part later on... wayyyyy later on. But I won't tell you how. You have to figure out that on your own!~

Right... Please review and let me know what you think of the story so far guys! I get all excited whenever I see that someone has left me a message. Next chapter will be more eventful than this one. Some major stuff goes down that I know even I can't wait to write.

And on that note:

Peter out~


End file.
